All Out in the Open
All Out in the Open, Questions from the Closet
All Out in the Open is a resource for LGBTQ Latter-day Saints and those who love them. Our goal is to help listeners connect with themselves, with their families, with their community, and with God. Hosts Charlie Bird and Ben Schilaty help listeners open up to themselves and those around them. Clare Dalton digs into the scriptures and teaches how they can be a catalyst for personal revelation. Iese Wilson takes listeners on a tour of LGBTQ Latter-day Saints all over the Church and introduces us to modern day pioneers. Michael Soto and Liz Macdonald highlight the amazing work of those who are building and strengthening their communities. Learn more at www.alloutintheopen.org.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 12, 2025 • 48min
Why a Queer Asian Nonmember Showed Up At an LDS Institute
This OUT and About episode features Atlas Nocturne (he/they). While at Arizona State University, Atlas began attending the Church’s Institute of Religion—even though they’re not a member.They share what it was like to navigate faith spaces as a trans, non-binary person and how Church members made them feel welcome. Atlas’ story is a reminder that understanding and connection can bloom, even when we start from very different places.
Aug 5, 2025 • 58min
Building Bridges over Obstacles Together (with Bree and Kit Borrowman)
This week in our ALL Together episode, Bree and Kit Borrowman share their powerful journey of love, identity and community. Bree, a high school science teacher, lived with gender incongruence and dysphoria for about 50 years before coming out. Since then, she’s found joy and peace living as her authentic self.Her wife, Kit, shares what it’s been like to walk this road alongside Bree. Together, they discuss the deep sense of belonging they’ve found in the LGBTQ+ community while remaining active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Jul 29, 2025 • 1h 19min
How a Gay Catholic is Making Space to Stay (with Justin Telthorst)
This week in our OPEN Up episode, Ben Schilaty and Charlie Bird talk with Justin Telthorst, a gay Catholic and founder of Empty Chairs, a nonprofit working to build belonging between LGBTQ+ individuals and the Catholic Church.Justin shares his journey of faith, identity, and advocacy—discussing what it’s like to be queer in a conservative faith tradition, and how he’s found purpose in creating space for others to feel seen. It’s a powerful conversation about authenticity, hope, and the kind of love that makes room for everyone.
Jul 22, 2025 • 46min
Gather Conference Live Q&A
How can I be a good ally? How do you stay hopeful in a difficult world? Who is Ben’s celebrity crush?Learn the answers (and more) in this THE Exclusive episode: a live Q&A from the 2025 Gather Conference featuring Ben Schilaty, Charlie Bird and Liz Macdonald.
Jul 15, 2025 • 1h 21min
New Eyes and a Fresh Understanding
This week in our IN the Scriptures episode, Clare Dalton sits down with Ben Bernards, an author, blogger, podcaster, and a beloved youth speaker known for his energetic love of the gospel. He is also a husband and father to three daughters—two of whom are trans.Together, Ben and Clare dive into the Doctrine and Covenants and reflect on what it means to truly embrace light and truth: by trusting God, overcoming fear, and letting go of previously held beliefs.
Jul 8, 2025 • 43min
A Closet without a Door: How Culture Affects Coming Out
Our OUT and About episode this week looks a little different. Our guest Adrian (name changed) from Indonesia isn’t able to come out publicly, so he shared his experiences as an LGBTQ+ Latter-day Saint with host Iese Wilson, who retold them to Ben Schilaty. We’re grateful for every story bravely shared on All Out in the Open.
Jul 1, 2025 • 1h
At Last They’re on the Podcast with Cynthia WinWard and Susan Hinckley
This week’s ALL Together episode features Cynthia Winward and Susan Hinckley, hosts of a podcast and authors of a book called At Last She Said It. They started their podcast to amplify the unspoken thoughts and feelings of Latter-day Saint women who feel out of place. Cynthia and Susan discuss the power of hearing people’s stories, embracing change as individuals and a living Church, and loving our family members as God does.
Jun 24, 2025 • 39min
What LGBTQ+ Latter-Day Saints Wish Others Understood
On this week’s OPEN Up episode, Ben Schilaty and Charlie Bird share heartfelt and powerful insights gathered from a survey of LGBTQ+ Latter-day Saints. What do they wish their families, leaders, and fellow Church members understood? From deeply personal reflections to recurring themes of faith, pain, and hope, this episode gives voice to experiences too often overlooked. Whether you’re part of the LGBTQ+ community or seeking to better support someone who is, this episode is a must-listen.
Jun 17, 2025 • 1h 12min
Visions, Doctrine, and the Wait for Understanding
This week, Clare Dalton sits down with Stefanie Reinsch to discuss Doctrine & Covenants 71–83. Stefanie shares her journey of revelation and resilience. From serving a mission to coming out as bisexual to now pursuing PA school, she reminds us that there’s more than one way to walk with God.
Jun 10, 2025 • 51min
How a Gay Brit Learned to "Come As You Are"
On this week’s OUT and About episode, Iese Wilson talks with James Grant, a gay, neurodivergent Latter-day Saint from England currently serving on his stake high council. James shares his journey of coming out after years of denial and the role community and connection played in that process.A former missionary leader introduced James to the Questions from the Closet podcast and Gather Conference, which he later attended with his mom and had a deeply spiritual experience. He found hope and direction through resources that showed him a life of authenticity and faith was possible.
